Alterations in ventricular filling in small-for-gestational-age fetuses.
OBJECTIVE
This study was designed to evaluate if fetal diastolic cardiac function is compromised in small-for-gestational-age (SGA) fetuses with documented fetal well-being at the biophysical profile.


METHODS
We have compared indices of diastolic cardiac flow in singleton SGA fetuses with forward diastolic flow in the umbilical artery at Doppler velocimetry and documented fetal well-being (n = 10) with those of appropriate-for-gestational-age (AGA) controls with documented fetal well-being matched for gestational age at ultrasound (n = 20).


RESULTS
At the mitral valve, velocity time integral (VTI) (0.059+/-0.011 vs. 0.069+/-0.011 m, p = 0.04), peak velocity of the A wave (0.426+/-0.043 vs. 0.498+/-0.087 m/s, p = 0.005), and acceleration time of the E wave (0.046+/-0.004 vs. 0.053+/-0.007 s, p = 0.008) were significantly different between SGA and AGA fetuses. At the right atrioventricular valve, only VTI was significantly different between SGA and AGA fetuses (0.065+/-0.014 vs. 0.078+/-0.011, p = 0.03).


CONCLUSIONS
These findings suggest that SGA fetuses have significantly lower left and right ventricular diastolic filling compared with AGA fetuses without significant changes in diastolic function.
Miyague
N I
NI
Perinatal Research Facility, Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, Georgetown University Medical Center, Washington, DC 20007, USA.
Ghidini
A
A
Fromberg
R
R
Miyague
L L
LL
D001783:Blood Flow Velocity; D016022:Case-Control Studies; D015331:Cohort Studies; D005314:Embryonic and Fetal Development / Q000502:physiology*; D005260:Female; D005317:Fetal Growth Retardation / Q000503:physiopathology*; D006321:Heart / Q000196:embryology / Q000502:physiology*; D006439:Hemodynamics / Q000502:physiology*; D006801:Humans; D011247:Pregnancy; D011263:Pregnancy Trimester, Third; D011446:Prospective Studies; D012016:Reference Values; D016216:Ultrasonography, Prenatal; D016276:Ventricular Function / Q000502:physiology*